British Tomato Fortnight!

It’s British Tomato Fortnight! British Tomato Fortnight 2025 — British Tomato Growers Association which makes it a perfect time to remind ourselves of the many health benefits of consuming tomatoes.

Tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K as well as being a rich source of antioxidants including lycopene which gives them their red colour. Lycopene has been extensively studied due to it’s positive health attributes, a recent study observed an association between eating more tomatoes and lower blood pressure, those who consumed the equivalent of around one large tomato a day reduced their overall risk of hypertension by 36%, this was suggested to be due to the high levels of lycopene which helps fight inflammation and molecules that damage cells via oxidative stress (Murcia-Lesmes, D. et al, 2023).

Regular consumption of tomatoes is also associated with reduced risk of various cancers (Ganesan et al., 2012) (D et al., 2012) and has been shown to benefit bone health, cognitive function, skin health and the gut microbiome, these are all important protective measures for individuals at all stages of life but particularly as we age and our body is less able to absorb nutrients efficiently (Navarro-González & Periago, 2016).

During the summer months there is an abundance of delicious, locally grown tomatoes, in my opinion these are best enjoyed simply, I recommend bringing up to room temperature before consuming to provide optimal taste, here are a few serving suggestions:

• Slice a beef tomato and top with a drizzle of EVOO and a sprinkle of sea salt and fresh or dried oregano.
• Half cherry tomatoes and top with thinly sliced red onion and a mix of balsamic vinegar and EVOO, season to taste.
• Top slices of tomato with crumbled cheese (feta, goat’s or blue cheese are good options), halved black olives, a drizzle of EVOO and toasted pumpkin seeds.
• Top a tomato half with half a cornichon and an anchovy fillet, season with plenty of ground pepper.
• Half cherry tomatoes, thread on a cocktail stick with a mini mozzarella and a basil leaf.

References

Navarro-González, I., & Periago, M. J. (2016). El tomate, ¿alimento saludable y/o funcional? Revista Española de Nutrición Humana y Dietética, 20(4), 323–335. https://doi.org/10.14306/renhyd.20.4.208

Willcox, J. K., Catignani, G. L., & Lazarus, S. (2003). Tomatoes and Cardiovascular Health. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 43(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408690390826437

D, B., S, P., & S, S. (2012). Tomato-A Natural Medicine and Its Health Benefits.

Ganesan, M., Rajesh, M., Solairaj, P., & Senthilkumar, T. (2012). Tomato as a pioneer in health management.  Int. J. Pharm. Chem. Biol. Sci, 2, 210-217.

 Murcia-Lesmes, D., Domínguez-López, I., Laveriano-Santos, E. P., Tresserra-Rimbau, A., Castro-Barquero, S., Estruch, R., … & Lamuela-Raventós, R. M. (2024). Association between tomato consumption and blood pressure in an older population at high cardiovascular risk: observational analysis of PREDIMED trial. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 31(8), 922-934.